Public consultation to be held on organ donation compensation

Monday November 10 2008
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan was asked on Tuesday, at the groundbreaking ceremony for ParkwayHealth's new hospital in Novena, about the possibility of including foreigners in the proposed compensation scheme for organ donations.

He said Singapore is studying what other countries are doing before coming to a decision. No country in the world has allowed foreigners to be compensated for donating their organs.

Iran is presently the only country that allows compensation to be made to local donors.

Mr Khaw said: "I've been studying the legislation in US and UK. We are right now actually working on the draft amendments and once we are ready, let us have a proper public consultation on it – it will be quite soon."